Acts 13 – Scattered & Growing - Acts 8:1-25
Acts Ch 1 v.8 - is an absolute KEY Vs
to the ENTIRE book of Acts (& to our lives)
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
& today - In Acts CH 8 - we see ALL of this begin to come to pass
We’ll see (again) the Critical Need for Believer’s
to Receive the POWER of the Holy Spirit
& We’ll see the believers scattered - - & thereby
becoming Christ’s Witnesses - In SAMARIA (outside Judea)
& THEN - in the 2nd half of Ch 8 (Nxt week)
we’ll see the Gospel Reach ALL the way to Ethiopia
which at that time - was considered the End of the Earth
& what I really want us to know today is -
the message of Acts has not Changed !!
God still wants to give us
the POWER of the Holy Spirit to be His Witnesses
& He STILL wants us to be HIS WITNESSES
Right where we Live
Just outside where we Live
And - to the End of the earth
The Message hasn’t changed
The Purpose hasn’t changed
& The People who need to Hear the Gospel & Receive Christ
HAVE NOT CHANGED
Today we see the church SCATTERED & GROWING
& Today we have the Opportunity - to be PART of the SAME
Scattered & Growing church - that began in ACTS
Scattered & Growing church - that began in ACTS
We ended our Msg last week - Referring to the Significant Impact
Stephen (in his Martyrdom) had on Paul the Apostle
Stephen (in his Martyrdom) had on Paul the Apostle
As we left Stephen last week
he was being Illegally Killed by an Angry Religious MOB
& as we open our text today - we read in . . .
Acts 8:1 (esv)
1 And Saul approved of his (Stephen’s) execution . . .
Pretty much all scholars agree
The death of Stephen HAUNTED Paul the Apostle
If it’s true that Paul was part of the SET-UP
at Stephen’s Synagogue (which we looked at last week)
Then WATCHING Stephen Live for Christ
WATCHING His Face shine - in front of the Sanhedrin
Watching him Gaze into Heaven when he died
These things would have really GNAWED at PAUL
& they were (very likely) a big part of what made Paul ready
to meet Christ on the Road to Damascus
But at this point - he is still in a Religious Rage
Violently Persecuting the church
Which made the Devil very HAPPY
But ONE of the Devil’s many problems is - - -
He CAN’T see the future !
& so he keeps on making mistakes like this one
Like when he thought he won by having Jesus killed on the cross
when instead - he actually SEALED his own DEFEAT
Well - this mistake is Sorta like that one - on the Devil’s part
& we begin to see that unfold - in 2nd Half of Verse 1
Acts 8:1(b) (esv)
1 . . . And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Stephens death sparked a Wide-Spread Persecution
that Scattered the believers WHERE . . . ?
Thru-Out JUDEA & SAMARIA
Just like Jesus said would happen - back in Acts 1:8
But the Apostles did NOT SCATTER
They seemed obligated to stay under the Persecution
as part of the Foundation - - So the church Could SCATTER
& then - in V.2 - we see a neat “Comment” on Stephen’s death
Acts 8:2 (esv)
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
You see - when someone was stoned to death,
Mourning & Lamentation were not allowed by the Sanhedrin
So this is Luke’s way of saying that the “Devout Jewish Men”
Disagreed with the Lynch Mob death of Stephen
& gave him - a PROPER burial
Unfortunately - Stephen’s death was just the beginning - as Vs.3 says
Acts 8:3 (esv)
3 But Saul was ravaging the church,
This word RAVAGING is a very Aggressive word
It means; with ZEAL & INTENSITY Saul was trying
to Absolutely DESTROY the church
& so - V.3 continues
3 . . . and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Saul was doing house-to-house Raids
& attacking Men - AND Women - in the name of God
The Devil was USING Saul - to try to DESTROY the church
But Later - this SAME Saul, turned Paul - would become
The Greatest Apostle - & write Two Thirds of the N.T.
Is it possible for the Enemy to Use someone at one point
& then - after a Radical Meeting with Jesus Christ
that SAME person be used Mightily by God ??
YES !! - it absolutely IS possible
& the life of Paul PROVES IT !! - - AMEN !
But Now - Our REAL FOCUS for today - starts in V.4
Acts 8:4 (esv)
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
They were Forced to scatter by Persecution,
but it was ACCORDING to the Perfect Plan of God
The Persecutors meant to put out this fire
by scattering the disciples
But God intended the exact same event
to Spread the Gospel - Like Wildfire
When the Wind of Persecution rises up against the church
The Church always spreads like Wildfire - - - ALWAYS !
& one of those SPARKS - Sent out by the Wind of Persecution
Was a man named PHILLIP
Phillip was NAMED NEXT to Stephen in the Role Call of the
DEACONS back in Ch 6 - His name came right after Stephen’s
& now he takes Stephen’s place - as our FOCUS
Acts 8:5 (esv)
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
Samaria was actually a Entire REGION to the North of Jerusalem
& THIS was certainly one of the HUGE miracles of the NT church
that the JEWISH Christians took the Gospel - to the Samaritans
Because there was REAL, ACTUAL, Racial HATE
between the Jews & the Samaritans
It started WAY BACK in 700 BC
when the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom (after taken captive)
began Intermarrying with the Assyrians
& now - to the Hebrew Jews
The Samaritans were HALF-BREEDS
The writings of the Jewish Rabbi’s said
“Let no man eat the bread of the Samaritans for he who eats their
bread is as he who eats swine’s flesh.”
bread is as he who eats swine’s flesh.”
& It was normal in Jewish Prayers to Pray
“& thank you God, that I was not born a Samaritan”
So it was a HUGE DEAL
that the Gospel went FIRST from Jerusalem - to Samaria
& So Again - V. 5 (esv)
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
He PROCLAIMED to them THE CHRIST, THE MESSIAH
He gave them the GOOD NEWS
that Jesus of Nazareth is the MESSIAH - the SAVIOR
& then in V.6 we see what they DID
in RESPONSE to Phillip Proclaiming Christ to them
Acts 8:6 (esv)
6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.
The NKJV says - . . . with one accord [they] heeded the things
spoken by Philip . . .
spoken by Philip . . .
They idea here really is
They HELD ONTO the things Phillip was teaching them
They did not CASUALLY Receive the Gospel Message
they CLUNG TIGHTLY to it . . .
Especially when they saw the REAL Power of God
that CAME WITH the Message
Acts 8:7-8 (esv)
7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
8 So there was much joy in that city.
This is a full-scale REVIVAL “Going Off” in SAMARIA of all places
People in mass
RECEIVING Christ as Savior
HEEDING the teaching of His Lordship
& MANY Being SET FREE from their Spiritual Bondage
& Being HEALED
No wonder V.8 says - So there was much joy in that city
HOWEVER - that doesn’t mean there WEREN’T Serious Struggles
as the Good News PERMEATED this new REGION
Acts 8:9-11 (esv)
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city (a Sorcerer) and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
There’s always SOMEONE - Isn’t there ?
Some ONE or Some THING - that had CONTROL over the people
BEFORE the Good News of Christ came along
There is always SOMETHING VYING for the attention of the People
If it’s not Simon the Sorcerer - it’s Oprah the Winfrey
But notice closely - Phillip never even addresses
Simon the Sorcerer - - (although Peter IS going to)
Phillip found himself in Samaria - - & so he Proclaimed
the Good News of Jesus Christ - & the Kingdom of God
& He STUCK to that !! - - THAT is why he was there!
& he saw People SAVED & Lives Transformed
Acts 8:12 (esv)
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
· They Believed what they were taught about the Kingdom of God
· They Believed in the Power of the Name of Jesus Christ
· AND so - They were Baptized
Guys - THIS is the Right Way to handle
False Teachers - Cults - & Spiritual Trouble Makers
PROCLAIM the Good News of Jesus Christ
TALK about the Kingdom of God
& do it all in The POWER of the Name of JESUS
& GOD will take care
of the False Teachers & the Spiritual Trouble Makers
Which is exactly what’s going to happen here
& you THINK it STARTS - in V.13
but please - - hold your applause . . . the story’s not over
Acts 8:13 (esv)
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with (stayed close to) Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Simon the Sorcerer was AMAZED
He certainly acknowledged the POWER of God as REAL
& he knew his was FAKE
& while he SAID he believed
& even went thru the motion of Baptism
HISTORY - & the end of our text today -
tell the REAL STORY
R. Kent Hughes
Subsequent history and legend portray Simon as the arch-villain of the early church. Irenaeus (a.d. 180) speaks of him as the father of Gnosticism (the 1st ‘New Age’ type false teaching). What we have here is the devil joining the church.
Kent Hughes says it much quicker than I can
What we have here is the devil joining the church.
In other words - - If you can’t beat ‘em - JOIN ‘EM
2 Corinthians 11:14–15 (esv)
14 . . . for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
So - We’re not Done with Simon
we’ll see him again - in a Minute
But starting in V. 14 - We See another Incredibly IMPORTANT Truth
about the Growth of the church
The Samaritans had Received Jesus as “The Messiah”
They were HEEDING the teaching if His Kingdom & Lordship
But there was ONE THING Phillip HADN’T Taught them
& when the home church in Jerusalem heard about it
they dispatched the BIG GUNS right away
Acts 8:14-17 (esv)
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for he (the Holy Spirit) had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
For SOME Reason - Phillip had NOT Taught them about,
or Prayed for them to Receive the Power of the Holy Spirit
We don’t know why !
It’s not because ONLY the Apostles
could pray for the Filling of the Holy Spirit
We DON’T see that in the rest of scripture
It’s NOT because the Filling of the Holy Spirit
HAS TO BE a Separate, Second Experience
That really can’t be supported by the rest of Scripture
We don’t know WHY Phillip didn’t do it
But we DO know there is a HUGE lesson here - - & that is . . .
Once you’ve Received Christ for Salvation
Once you’ve surrendered your life to Him as LORD
Once the bondage of your past has been broken
YOU NEED the POWER of the Holy Spirit
to LIVE the Supernatural Christian Life
We know THAT - For Sure
& that’s Exactly what we see here
Guys - Please - Don’t DEBATE
the Various Doctrines on the FILLING of the Holy Spirit
Just do ONE THING FOR ME - If you’re a Christian
Make Sure YOU are Filled with the Holy Spirit
Go to our teaching website at WORDBYMAIL.COM
Click on RESOURCES - - & Get the TWO BOOKS listed
“Forgotten God” - Francis Chan- “Under His Influence” - Lloyd Pulley
& while you’re there at WORDBYMAIL.COM
just TYPE “Holy Spirit” in the search box
& you’ll find the 22 messages in the Holy Spirit COLLECTION
Ask us for those & we’ll send them all to you
THEN - MAKE SURE that YOU Personally
are Filled with the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit IS the Power of God in your life
WITHOUT Him - the BEST you can do
is live for Christ in YOUR OWN STRENGTH (& that ain’t much)
LEARN about the Holy Spirit
& ASK HIM to FILL you EVERY SINGLE DAY !!
So - Peter & John come in from Jerusalem - & say
the only thing missing here is the Power of the Holy Spirit
& they take care of that in a hurry
they lay hands on the believers - & they RECEIVE the Holy Spirit
Now THIS . . . REALLY interests the Sorcerer Simon
Remember - Simon the Sorcerer had ALL the POWER
BEFORE Phillip came into town with the Gospel of Christ
& now he sees a way to maybe get some of that Power BACK
Maybe this could put him “back on top”
Acts 8:18-19 (esv)
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Notice - Simon didn’t ask to receive the Holy Spirit
He asked for the POWER to give it to others
Because what he wanted, was the power to impress,
& to get people to look up to him, & to follow him - again
& so . . . he offered MONEY - to GET this Spiritual Power
NOW - In case you think I was being TOO HARSH
when I quoted R. Kent Hughes - who said;
What we have here (in Simon) is the devil joining the church.
Just Listen to a little Church History
By the 4th Century -
the practice of SIMONY was prevalent in the church
SIMONY (Named for this Simon, & this act) . . .
SIMONY was the act of BUYING positions & power in the church
You could buy a Bishop’s office for so much
You could buy an Archbishop’s office for so much
You could even buy a Cardinal’s Hat (not the baseball team)
In fact it was the practice of SIMONY
that LED to BUYING INDULGENCES
where you could PURCHASE forgiveness of your sins
& the practice of BUYING INDULGENCES was one of the
KEY CAUSES of the REFORMATION in the 16th Century !!
SIMONY - Named for THIS Simon, & THIS event
was a Black Eye on the church for over a thousand years
EVEN THO the Apostle PETER Dealt Severely with this Simon
The church seemed to FORGET this Vs
Acts 8:20 (esv)
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
This is actually a Very Strong Curse - The GK is LITERALLY
“May your silver together with you be sent into destruction”
The gifts & callings of God can NEVER be Bought or Sold
Altho the church did it for many hundreds of years
They did it CLEARLY AGAINST God’s Word
& So Now - Peter levels the TRUTH at Simon the Sorcerer
Acts 8:21 (esv)
21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Please listen carefully - Peter says to Simon
You have neither part, not lot, in the growing Body of Christ
because your heart is not right before God
How important is it - that our Hearts are RIGHT before God?
It determines - whether we are PART of God’s Family - or NOT
NOT whether we Said some certain words
NOT whether we Went Thru some certain ceremony
Is our Heart RIGHT with God ??
Have we Confessed our sin
Have we Asked Jesus to Forgive us by His blood
Have we truly Made Him Lord of our Lives
We can do that - TODAY
We can make our heart right with God - TODAY
Even Simon the Sorcerer COULD HAVE
made HIS heart right with God - on THAT very DAY
As Peter says to him - Acts 8:22-23 (esv)
22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
Simon COULD HAVE repented THAT Day
He COULD HAVE asked the Lord to Forgive him - & Cleanse Him
As Peter says in V.23
23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
NLT says - for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy
and are held captive by sin.
Simon wasn’t ANY MORE SAVED at THIS Point
than he was BEFORE he went thru all the MOTIONS
There had been NO CHANGE in Simon’s Heart,
. . . & so there had been no true salvation
& Simon KNEW IT - - - But he STILL didn’t REPENT
INSTEAD - He asked Peter to help him
AVOID the consequences of his sin
Acts 8:24 (esv)
24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Many people ask to AVOID the consequences of their sin
They want to KEEP Sinning - But AVOID the Consequences
& the Answer is . . . NO CAN DO
REPENTANCE means - “To turn away from your sin”
& THAT is the Beginning of Salvation
As far as we know - Simon WOULDN’T - & Never DID
& so we close with Acts 8:25 (esv)
25 Now when they (Peter & John) had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Now it’s NOT just Phillip - but Peter & John
are also preaching in Samaria - & THAT is such a huge deal !!
& so - the church is SCATTERED by Persecution
& GROWING by the Proclamation of Christ
& Guys - it STILL IS TODAY
My prayer is that YOU will be PART of it
SO - What have we learned today . . .
I’d like to FOCUS on TWO MAIN THINGS
1) If your HEART Isn’t RIGHT with God
You need to REPENT & Make it RIGHT - Quick
2) If you are a Christian today, Desiring to Live for Christ
You MUST be FILLED with the POWER of the Holy Spirit
& that’s what I’d like us to focus on
as we PREPARE for COMMUNION
Let’s Pray
Acts 8:1-25
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